Windows, doors, partitions, and other structures having controllable light modulation have been gaining popularity in the marketplace. These structures are commonly referred to as “smart” structures or “privacy” structures for their ability to transform from a transparent state in which a user can see through the structure to a private state in which viewing is inhibited through the structure. For example, smart windows are being used in high-end automobiles and homes and smart partitions are being used as walls in office spaces to provide controlled privacy and visual darkening.
A variety of different technologies can be used to provide controlled optical transmission for a smart structure. For example, electrochromic technologies, photochromic technologies, thermochromic technologies, suspended particle technologies, and liquid crystal technologies are all being used in different smart structure applications to provide controllable privacy. The technologies generally use an energy source, such as electricity, to transform from a transparent state to a privacy state or vice versa.
In instances where controlled transmission is provided through application or removal of electrical energy, the optical transmission structure can include electrode contacts where electrical wiring interfaces with electrodes that control the optically controllable medium. To provide space on the structure needed to implement the electrode contacts, one substrate bounding the optically controllable medium may be offset from an opposite substrate, providing an offset lip where a bus bar can be installed. While effective to establish electrical contact, this offset structure can project into the sight line of the structure and be difficult to manipulate during further processing because of the irregular, offset surface.